Staffyluv

It is so hard to let go of the ones we love so much and our dogs are so very loyal and loving (right to the very end). I agree that quality of life is much more important than quantity of life. Have you talked with your vet about her current condition? My vet promised me he would be the first to tell me it was time and that he was not enjoying being here any longer. Our terminal angels are so precious but the best gift we can give them is freedom from their pain when the time is right. All the best in such hard times

Ollie's diet is mainly meat and veg (no pasta, rice etc). He also gets cottage cheese with some flax oil on it (he loves it), say a tablespoon of cheese and a teaspoon of flax as a treat. You have to supplement. he eats things like chicken, turkey roo, beef and kidney (occasionally) and he has fresh fish like tuna and yes I cave and give him half my salmon when we have it. He also loves yoghurt as a treat too. I used to buy a BBQ each week to get him to take the pills and supplements because there were so many and trying to get him to just take them was hard on both of us. I just wrapped a couple of pills in a bit of chicken and he would swallow it no worries - he is used to it after nearly 4 year and I just ask him to open now and he takes them no worries. Cooking food is also important for cancer dogs - raw food can compromise their health (you will see all this in the cancer diets for dogs). I do cheat - it is very hard to do the carb free thing as a human let alone with dogs. If you do a google search for anti cancer diet for dogs, they all say the same thing. But it is controlled cheating - he gets treats, he has cake on his birthday and if we have take away he might get a bit of pizza crust or a chicken nugget - they still have to enjoy life... I am on here lots, so like I said stay in touch

Hiya, I am Ollie's owner - check his thread out, there is so much info in there about what you are about to go through. Our whole journey is there to share. He was diagnosed in late 2005 with MCT grade 2 (multiple tumour sites) no clear margins on excision and it was already in his lymph system. He was given 12-18 months - it is now nearly 4 years post dxd. Yes he still has tumours, yes he is in remission, the tumours are not active and they don't releasing histamine. He was 8 when dxd. We did 6 months of chemo (vinblastin and off the top of my head can't remember the second part of the protocol). We had one week vinblastin, the next week the other one and the third week off and then it went again. It is expensive. You need blood tests each week to make sure the white cell count is OK to have the chemo (there were weeks we could not do it)... Vitamin C is a huge tonic for dogs and if Ollie did get flat he spent a day at hospital on a drip with Vit C and he came home like a puppy. Chemo does NOT make dogs sick. They don't lose all their hair (fur), they may lose a bit on their rump or tail where they sit but that is about it and it grows back as soon as the chemo stops. The reason chemo does NOT make dogs sick is that they cannot give as much to a dog as they do with humans (in humans they bombard the whole system to kill off all the cancer cells and this kills good and bad cells, they do this because they can give us a bone marrow transplant if needed) - they can't transplant bone marrow for dogs, so they get a much lower dose over a longer period. We still went to the park and played while he was on chemo - it won't hurt them and they are NOT toxic to other dogs and people... Before we started chemo we contacted an holistic vet, our canine oncologist (Rob Straw in Brisbane) and our vet gave all the reports to the holistic vet so they could design a course of treatment that would keep Ollie well while he underwent chemo. At one stage he was taking about 15 tablets and supplements a day (we are down to much less but continue). Ask your vet about antihistamines - MCT release histamine into the system and it looks like an allergic reaction - we use Polaramine from the chemist (Ollie has 2mg a day), this keeps the histamine at bay and we don't have any reactions. Remove as many carbs from the diet as possible - carbs feeds cancer. Change the diet to organic if you can but if not then just normal human food will do. Ollie eats chicken, turkey, beef and kidney (occasionally) and some roo. He eats sweet potato or pumpkin and zucchini or other veg (just a few tablespoons of mushed up stuff with his meat every night). Some meat for breaky... There is so much to tell you but I think I have given you enough to think about to start with - don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions at all. We are in Canberra and our oncologist was in Brisbane and our holistic vet is in Sydney - we liaised via phone, email and fax with all professionals sharing the info... The oncologist still can't believe Ollie is still here...

I have a question about this breed also: We have two dogs that live next door to us that look the same (some shape, colouring etc) but they have longer hair - sort of wire haired version. Is this a different breed altogether or just another version of the GSP - say a wire hair GSP? Thanks in advance

RL01, I understand the cosmetic thing - I had some extra lumps and moles removed from Ollie when he had surgery to remove a large tumour that was in the way when he walked - they were growing too and to be honest I just wanted them gone. You know what you are doing and if the risk is worth it - you will get a broad spectrum of replies when posting on a public forum. Ollie has had cancer since 2005 and mostly has good days but on a few occasions I have posted about his bad days and tend to get the odd person telling me I should do the 'right' thing by him - I am assuming they mean PTS. But I know my dog and I know what is just a bad day as opposed to what will define the end for him. Don't take other stuff to heart

I have a 12 year old stafford here and he has cancer - he often needs tumours removed or some other horror that crops up from time to time means he needs to go under. I hate doing it but my vet assures me that it is safe and he would not recommend it if he did not think Ollie could handle it. The last time he was out was a few months ago to have a toe removed due to another type of cancer (not the one he has). It was needed. To be honest, unless you have a show animal and the cosmetic thing is required to win, then I would not be doing it if it does not threaten life in anyway. We all have our flaws, including our dogs

As others have said the dog needs to be secured in the vehicle for its safety and yours. I would suggest the excitement comes from everything moving around him/her - secure the dog so that it cannot see all that movement (in a crate as suggested by Warley or behind one of the front seats on the floor of the vehicle). They tend to settle a bit if they can't see 'stuff'.

It really is such a small difference in fat content (low fat to the normal one) that I would not worry about it - especially if it is not agreeing with your dog. I used a hills low fat one for my lazy old stafford once and it did not agree with him either but I think that was just because he has always been fed human food (not a dog food boy) apart from the odd doggy treat... His coat looked terrible when he had it...

The problem with using cortisone as an alternative to chemo (only with some cancers as suggested) is that it causes more stomach problems and can cause stomach ulcers in cancer patients... Hope you get to the bottom of it - get a second opinion and ask for a referral to a specialist if need be...

Ollie had small tears in both legs and we opted for high doses of ester C powder and rest (not easy keeping them still but was necessary for a few weeks, then small walks)... His was not so damaged that he could not stand though, so not sure if the ester C would be enough for Rubi... Ester C helps repair tissue damage with really amazing results

Sorry to hear of your dilemma - it is so hard when they are very ill... I would be getting a second or even a third opinion - after what you have been through, I would not trust the opinion of this current vet (just my opinion on it).. Best of luck but if he is that ill, the best thing you can do for him is free him from his pain. Sorry

The margins are clean I forgot the terminology! That is good news Ruth... Sp glad there are clean margins (that is important terminology) Ollie has had 2 major surgeries like that - the first one was down his rump and the second one was around his stomach.. It is pretty shocking to see how much they have to take...

I lost count how many times I put my hand down the boofheads throat to retrieve a half chewed bone or rawhide - so I stopped giving rawhide altogether... Now he does not eat raw anything

Hi Carolyn, I am so very sorry that the time had come to say goodbye to Jedda... Rest in peace lovely girl... Jodie and Ollie dog

Ollie is fed human grade meat and veg. He also had cottage cheese with some flax seed oil and yoghurt from time to time as well. He loves fruit in summer time and often has some of my apple and watermelon - we are yet to see any strawberries off our bushes because he gets to them before we do. Meat: Chicken, turkey and beef with a bit of kidney sometimes (not often). He used to have roo too but with his medical history that is a bit strong for his tummy now Veg: sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini, carrots etc... He gets about 350g a day but needs this cut back because he is old and not as active now and putting on more weight If you decide to change your staffords diet, do so gradually so it does not upset his tummy - they are sensitive little souls lol.... BTW, if you have a staffordshire bull terrier, it is compulsory to post pics ;)

Ollie does not like to be picked up anymore - his tummy is sore and I assume it is because he has tumours in there somewhere... I wish I had the answers for you but you know her better than we do... Just looking at her, I don't think she looks too thin - I can see some loss of muscle tone, especially in her head (just like Ollie, his head is nowhere near as beefy as it used to be)... Ollie does the sick thing - that is why I keep his meals a lean as possible and with as little additives to upset his tummy. he only eats red meat twice a week, the other days are all chicken and turkey. He gets fresh BBQ chicken with some of his mashed veg on shopping day. His tummy just can't take anything 'strong' anymore... He drinks lots of water too and does the licking of his lips (vet thought it was nausea and he takes maxalon for it)... Do you give Jedda an antihistamine tablet daily? MCT release histamine and it can be very uncomfortable for the dogs when it happens, so Ollie has 1x 2mg polaramine tablet every day to stop this from happening and it works for us... We get a script for the maxalon from the vet but get it from the chemist as it is cheaper. His polarmine can be bought over the counter. Ollie also likes to lay on the concrete in the cold - I think it helps his tummy... But he always comes in when he is ready... Love the updated pics of Jedda, she is beautiful...

If you have to question if it is the look, then it probably is not... One day (probably for a week), she won't eat, she won't want to play, she won't want to go to the park, she probably won't look at you - you will know when the time has come (from what you have said here, it is most definitely not that time yet). If she is still having fun (3 minutes of tug-o-war is huge for an old sick dog) then she is doing well... I know it is hard (and easy for me to say it) but you have to stop looking for the 'look'... Just enjoy the time you have and you might be surprised and it could last another couple of years. I used to do the same thing, especially when he was having chemo - it is so hard some days. My vet said he would tell me if I could not see it - one day Ollie was so sick and I asked him if it was time and he said - 'God no, nowhere near it - we can get over this hurdle'... Find a vet you are comfortable with, it is vitally important that you have a professional on your side (sorry but it seems as though yours has given up). Our vet treats what is going on at the time and although we know the cancer is there (he has tumours all over him and in his neck and his tummy) we concentrate on what is happening on the day... One day at a time - just enjoy her, cuddle her, let her sleep on the bed or the lounge, give her an extra treat - that is what she wants too - she is picking up on your state of mind and she is worried for you... Give her a big hug from Ollie and I - you have one too...

Not really new, probably one of the oldest remedies around... But brilliant remedy - good post to let others that don't know about it though

Cancer dogs do better with cooked meat - just from personal experience... I cook the meat and then just add it with veges - I mix them together otherwise he will eat all the meat and leave the veg... No liquid - just steam them, mash em and mix it with meat.

I use whatever veges he will eat at the time - his taste seems to change but good staples are sweet potato or pumpkin with zucchini, some spinach and carrot (he loves carrot to eat whole)... I steam them and then process them in the food processor. Sometimes I take out the spinach and add in something different (broccoli, green beans, peas, cauliflower - but cauli can make them fart lots) but on the whole it would be 80% pumpkin and zucchini and only 20% other veg... He is a bit stuck on pumpkin and zucchini at the moment and has been for a while - I add yoghurt or cottage cheese to it to change it up a bit too... Just a teaspoon in with dinner... He likes fruit too and I do give him a bit of my apple sometimes and he loves watermelon. We never see any strawberries off our bushes because he gets them before us... I have never used beans in the can - staffords fart enough and I think this might give them even more wind... I also don't use normal potato or onion (all the veg not suitable for pups)...

I agree, she may just be feeling unwell... Roo will be much too strong for a dog that has not had it before - gradually add a bit (couple of tablespoons at a time) to her usual meal or with some chicken and veg. Jedda looks happy enough in her pics, she is just beautiful - she reminds me of our first stafford, Louis, he was a the same colour... Hang in there... the day she does not want to eat, go to the park or play, then reassess it all because for now, she looks great (all things considered)... Ollie has bad days every now and then and we also went through a couple of bad patches when I thought I was being selfish keeping him alive - seeing him now, I am so glad I perservered with his treatment... he still has a bad day every now and then but it is only once every few months now... I know I am harping but the diet change will make a massive difference to her and how she feels...

Loraine, I have heard great things about RMs stuff - I have personally never used it because we have our own holistic vet who deals with Ollie. The vets at All Natural Vet Care in Sydney, if you are interested Jedda - we live in Canberra and they have treated Ollie wholly on the test results from our conventional vet and phone interviews with me to ask how Ollie is and what he is doing etc... I also agree with KL, the power of positive thinking is amazing - every time things got a bit tough I would jump on here and pour my heart out... I got lots of good advice and heaps of positive vibes for Ollie - it works, believe in it and it will work for you too... If Jedda is enjoying life, that is the main thing - enjoy it with her... I still highly recommend getting rid of all commercial foods - they are all much to high in carbs for a cancer diet. Have fun at the park and I look forward to the pics

Grade 2 with clear margins is a good result but because she has recurring lumps (I am assuming they have been aspirated and are MCTs) that would suggest it has already invaded her system. Same as Ollie... Get a buffy coat test done if your vet will do it - it will give a clearer indication of what is going on. It is good that the vet keeps an eye on the liver and kidney function.. But a full blood screen would be beneficial as it may be that the absess is not related to the MCT and Jedda has some other sort of infection somewhere. Use whatever you need to get her pills down - they help her. I used to buy a BBQ chicken every week and that was his to get his pills down - he has had it for nearly 4 years now and I am very lucky that I just say, 'Open up' and he opens his mouth to take them now. I would get rid of the hills - it is loaded with cereals (carbs)... If you can change her diet to mainly good quality meat and some veg (we use lots of vegs lightly steamed and mash them really well or put them through the food processor and he gets about a quarter to a third of a cup each night with his meat). Good luck with the vet today - if you are not getting what you need from your vet, maybe look around for another opinion - it never hurts to get another one. Lots of water - pred is like that though, makes them want to drink heaps but then so does the effect of this cancer because of the issues it causes when it releases the chemicals it does (stomach ulcers etc). I don't think that absesses are unheard of with most cancers. I have not had any problem with them. Each dog, depending on previous health history and the type and grade of cancer will react differently. When Ollie was dxd they did not hold out a lot of hope that he would be alive after 2 year (they originally gave us 12-18 months with chemo) - it will be 4 years since dxd in October this year.. But we have been very fortunate in that his cancer has acted like a grade 1, even though it is systemic. The tumours are terrible, some days you hardly notice them and then the next day the poor boy looks like a chokito with lumps and bumps all over him... He also has a small tummy ulcer which is treated with omperezole (sp??) and he takes carafate to reduce the stomach acid as well... There is so much you can do now, you just have to research and find the right vet to help you - we are so lucky, that our vet is one in a million and does so much for us (he told me one day that he has learned so much from treating Ollie - which I thought was great)...

KL Ollie has the same sort of cancer and he drinks over 2L every day and on a big day will drink more like 3L of water. Urination does not seem to be too excessive compared with what they drink - the more I think about it the more I think it may be the result of the chemicals that the mast cell tumour release because they do cause issues like this. I agree with KL, get a second opinion - and please check out an holistic vet, ours has made a world of difference for us. As for the Vit C, I am yet to hear of an issue with it - I researched it heaps when told about it a few years ago.

drinking a lot will be the pred - they drink heaps on it. It could also be the chemicals that MCTs release giving her tummy a hard time - Ollie has a bit of mylanta when he drinks heaps and then regurgitates the water (he is drinking because of reflux, caused by the histamine release and damage it has done to his tummy)... He has 5ml